Record card feeding mechanism



April 4, 1939.

W. L-ANG RECORD CARD FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed July 19, 1953 3Sheets-Sheet 1 \NVENT R ATTORNEY E.- E. EEEEEEEE E g m w. 2% mm BT a 9 &.MW Nb 0% 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w. LANG RECORD CARD FEEDING MECHANISM 105 lum...

' Original Filed July 19, 1935 April 4, 1939.

I5 F|G.4.

INVEN OR ATTORNEY April 4, 1939. w. LANG RECORD CARD FEEDING MECHANISMOriginal Filed July 19, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTO R N EYPatented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES RECORD CARD FEEDING MECHANISMWilliam Lang, New York, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, 7

New York, N. Y a corporation of New York Original application July 19,1933, Serial No.

Divided and this application December 12, 1935, Serial No. 54,025

1Claim.

This-invention relates to verifying machines and more particularlyrefers to machines for verifying perforated record cards and is adivision of my copending application Serial No.

6 681,071, filed July 19, 1933 now Patent No. 2,-

The object of the present invention is to provide improved mechanism forcontrolling the advance of the record carriage of such machines.

10 In tabulating machine work, data are tabulated by feedingthrough thetabulating machine, recrd cards having differentially spaced holespunched therein. Such record cards may be punched in any suitablepunching machine preferably of the type disclosed in the patent toSchaaif No. 1,134,018 :in which machine the punching operation isefiected by depressing keys provided for that purpose. When using suchpunching machines operators sometimes depress 20 the wrong key whichresults in incorrect data being punched in the card. It is, therefore,necessary to check the punched cards in order to determine if any errorshave been made in the punching operation. Such checking frequently 25 isaccomplished by visual inspection of the cards, however, this method ofchecking the cards has been found to be unsatisfactory sincethecheckeris liable to make the same error originally made by the operator whopunched the card.

Various other objects and advantages of my invention will be obviousfrom the following particular description of one form of mechanismembodying the invention or from an inspection of the accompanyingdrawings and the invention also constitutescertain new and novelfeatures of the construction and combination of parts hereinafter setforth and claimed.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken through the card feeding and analyzingpart of the machine. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the spring drum for thecarriage showing also the escapement mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the bar 49 and the slide 60 shifted byenergization of one of the verifying magnets.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the skip lifter bar and theescapement pawls.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 50 (Fig. 1).

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the skip bar in relation to a typicalcard of the Hollerith Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 'I-'| 55(Fig. 1)

Fig. 8 is a conventional circuit diagram of the electrical elements ofthe machine.

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the space key.

The verifying machine is provided with manipulative keys similar tothose in the punching 5 machine disclosed in the patent to Schaafi No.1,134,018. The checker operates the keys just as if a new card werebeing punched, and, if a card is correctly punched, the card carriagefeeds forwardly one step upon depressing each key. 10 If, however, ahole is punched in the wrong digital position in a column the carriagedoes not feed forwardly thus warning the operator that an erroneouspunching exists at that column.

The invention includes a set of independent sensing brushes adapted tomake contact with a common contact bar through the perforations in thecard, thus establishing electric circuits through a series of magnets,one for each of the twelve index point positions on the card. Thesemagnets, when energized, operate individual mechanisms which makes itnecessary to depress the corresponding key before the card carriage canescape to the next succeeding columnar position. If the hole sensed isin the wrong posi- 26 tion, or, if the wrong key is depressed, theescapement mechanism will not function, and the carriage will remain inthe position at which the error was found.

Also when a card having combinational holes 80 punched therein, that is,two or more holes punched in a column, is being verified it is neces-'sary to concurrently deprex the several keys corresponding to theseveral index point positions of the combination being checked.

Card carriage Referring to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings thecards9 are fed from a stack 60 between a pusher II and a forward guide I2 tobring the first column of the card in alinement with a series of sensingbrushes l3. These brushes are adapted to make contact through theperforated holes in the card with a common bar I (see also.

Fig. 8). The brushes iii are securely mounted in a. dielectric bar I 5suitably supported in the machine.

'urged toward the left (Fig. '1) and a suitable escapement mechanismincluding pawis l9 and 29 (Fig. 2) cooperates with the serrated upperedge of the rack l5 to permit step by step movement thereof.

As viewed in Fig. 2, the pawls I9 and 29 are in their normal positionswherein the pawl I9 is in engagement with the rack l5, holding the cardcarriage in anaylzing position against the action of the spring drivewhich includes a spring (not shown) enclosed in a spring drum l6 (Fig.2) attached to the side of a gear |1 mounted on a shaft |8. The gear l1meshes withteeth on the lower edge of the rack l5. This spring driveconstantly urges the carriage 'towardthe left (as viewed in Figs. 1 and2).

A lever 2| secured on the end of a shaft 22 carries in one arm a pin 23projecting into an enlarged opening in the pawl l9. A pin 24 in theother arm of the lever 2| is embraced by an open slot in the pawl 29. Asthe shaft 22 and lever 2| rock counterclockwise (Fig.2) the pin 24lowers the pawl 29 into engagement with the rack I5 and, at the sametime, the pin 23 raises the pawl |9 out of engagement with the rack. Thepawl I9 is provided with a slightly elongated slot 25 surrounding theshaft 22 so that, as the pin 23 raises said pawl out of engagement withthe rack, a spring 26 advances the pawl slightly. Upon clockwisemovement (Fig. 2) of the arm 2|, the pawl I9 is lowered into engagementwith the next succeeding notch in the rack l5 thus efiecting a singlestep of movement of the card carriage to bring the next succeedingcolumn into registry with the sensing brushes l3.

The escapement mechanism, just described, is rocked by an escapementmagnet 21 (Figs. 1 and 8). The armature 28 of this magnet is connectedby a link 29 to one arm of a bell crank 39, and a link 3| connects theother arm of the bell crank to an arm 32 on the shaft 22.

When the magnet 21 is energized it attracts its armature 28 rocking thebell crank 39, the arm 32 and shaft 22 counterclockwise (Fig. 1) toeffect an escapement of a single step, as set forth above, to permit asingle step of movement of the card carriage. The escapement magnet 21is energized by the closing of a pair of contacts 33 under the jointcontrol of the analyzing brushes |3and any of the twelve keys 34. Re-

ferring to Fig. 8 it may be noted that a magnet 35 is wired in serieswith each of the twelve brushes l3. When a column having one or moreperforate index points therein comes into alinement with the brushes I3,the brush for the per! forate index points make contact through theperforations with the bar |4 thus establishing a circuit from one side36 of a supply line to the common bar I4, through the hole in the card,brush l3, magnet 35, wire 39 and contacts 49 to the other side 4| of thesupply line.

This energizesthe magnet 35 whose brush I3 has made contact with the bar|4 through a punched hole in the card. The energized magnet 35 attractsits armature 42 (Fig. 1) which armature is carried by an arm 43 pivotedat 44 and having its opposite end rounded and embraced by a horizontalslot in a plunger 45 which is not unlike the stems 46 for the keys 34.Thus when the magnet 35 is energized, attracting its armature 42, itrocks the arm 43 counterclockwise thrusting downwardly the particularplunger 45 associated therewith. Near its lower end the plunger 45 has aslot embracing one arm of a bell crank 41, the other arm of whichcarries a arcane pin 48 projecting into a slot formed in the lower edgeof a horizontally disposed bar 49.

When the plunger 45 is thrust downwardly it rocks the bell crank 41counterclockwise thrusting the bar 49 toward the left, as viewed in Fig.1 to the position in which it appears in Fig. 3. The left hand end ofthe bar 49 (Fig. 1) slides on a cross frame 59 and the bar 49 at thisend has a projection 5| normally resting beneath a broad lug 52 on alever 53 'pivotally supported at 54 on a bail 55 whose arms 56 arepivoted on a rod ,51. The-fight hand end of the lever 53 is rounded andis embraced by a slot in the key stem 46 for the associated key 34. Aspring 58 urges the bail 55 clockwise (Fig. 1) against a stop stud 59.

A slide 69, mounted on headed studs projecting from the bar 49, isadapted to slide longitudinally on the bar but is normally held in itsleft hand position (Fig. l) by a spring 63 having an end secured to theslide 69 and the other end fast on bar 49.

As the bar 49 is shifted toward the left,

-through the agency of the magnet 35, a projec-v tion 61 on the slide 69is brought beneath a rib 68 on a universal bar 69 pivoted on a shaft 19.The bar 69 also has a rib 13 extending beneath all of the lugs 52. Atthe same time the leftward movement of the bar 49 brings the projection61 beneath the rib 68 it also carries the projection 5| from beneath thelug 52. The parts are shown in the above described position in Fig. 3.

The operator reading the data from the record from which it wasoriginally punched on the card being analyzed, now depresses the key orkeys 34 corresponding to the data to be verified. As the key isdepressed a pin 1| projecting from the key stem 46 cooperates with abeveled projection 12 on the slide 69 and cams this slide toward theright removing the projection 61 from beneath the rib 88.

Continued depression of the key brings the lug 52 into contact with theangular end 13 of the universal bar 69 and rocks this bar, together withthe shaft 19 and an arm 14 secured to said shaft, counterclockwiseagainst the tension of a spring 15. This movement of the arm 14 raises alink 16, pivotally connected thereto and having a hook 16a at its lowerend cooperating with the lower blade 18 for the contacts 33, thusclosing these contacts to energize the escapement magnet 21. Thismagnet, as set forth above, acts to rock the shaft 22 (Fig. 2) thusoperating the pawls l9 and 29 to permit the card carriage to travel onestep toward the left (Fig. 1) to bring the next succeeding column intoregistry with the sensing brushes l3.

As the energized escapement magnet 21 attracts its armature 28 drawingthe link 29 (Fig. 1) toward the right, a projection 11 extendingupwardly from the left hand end of the link 29, rocks the link 16counterclockwise about its pivot on the arm 14, disengaging the hook atthe lower end of the link 16 from the switch blade 18 carrying the lowercontact 33. The inherent spring tension of these blades opens thecontacts 33 and deenergizes the escapement magnet 21. The blade 18 nowrests to the left of the link 16 below the hook so that it is necessaryto release the depressed key 34 allowing the lever 53 to return toinitial position permitting the spring 15 to rock the universal barclockwise to normal. This lowers the link 16 and the hook again assumesits position below and in cooperative relation depression of one or moreof the keys 34.

the projection 5| from beneath the lug 52.

From the above description it can be seen that, if a hole is present inany one of the twelve positions, for instance, the five position on thecard and the five key 34' is depressed, the escapement magnet 21 isenergized and the carriage spaced one step.- However, two generalconditions may obtain wherein the escapement magnet would not beenergized. These conditions are: 1) A hole is sensed in the correctposition and the wrong key is depressed, and (2) a hole is erroneouslyplaced and the correct key is depressed. Under these conditions themachine functions as follows:

Assuming that the hole is properly placed in the five position but thewrong key is depressed, as soon as the brush l 3 senses the hole thecircuit is completed through the corresponding magnet. This magnet,being'energized, shifts the bar 49 associated therewith toward the left,removing At the same time the slide 60 is carried leftward with the bar49 to bring the projection 61 under the rib 68. The operator nowdepresses the six" key instead of the ffive key. In this case the slide60 on the bar associated with the five digital order will not be drawnto the right consequently the projection 61 remains under the rib 68 ofthe universal bar 69 thus preventing counterclockwise movement of thisbar to close the contacts 33, and the escapement magnet remainsunenergized.

When the operator depresses the six key under this condition the lug 52comes into contact with the projection 5| on the bar 49 associated withthis key, and, continued depression of the key rocks the lever 53clockwise about the point of contact of the lug 52 and the projection 5|as a pivot. This raises the left hand end of the lever 53 and rocks theball 55 counterclockwise about its shaft 51. As the bail 55 swingsupwardly it is latched in its raised position by a springpressed hook 13(Fig. 1).

When the bail 55 is latched in its raised position and the depressed sixkey 34 is released by the operator a spring 80 rocks the lever 53counterclockwise about its pivot 54 raising the key to its normalposition. The left hand ends of all of the levers (there is a key 34 anda lever 53 for each index point position on the card) are supported onthe bail 55, consequently when the bail 55 is raised, as just described,it raises all of the lugs 52 far enough so that if another key 34 isdepressed before the latch 19 is operated to release the bail 55, thelink 53 will not be rocked far enough to come into contact with eitherthe,

projection 5| on the bar 49 or the projection 13 on the universal'bar69. This does not effect an escapement of the carriage but does act as awarning to the operator that an error exists on the card then in themachine or that the operator has depressed the wrong key. The operatormay re-check the particular column by first rocking a lever 8| securedto the shaft 82 upon which is fast the latch '19, to free the bail 55 toits spring 58, which spring immediately restores the bailto its normalposition. Reading the data again from the original record the operatordepresses the proper key 34.

If the key new depressed corresponds to the data punched in the columnbeing analyzed the slide 68 is drawn toward the right and the universalbar 69 operated to energize the escapement magnet, as set forth above,and the operator may proceed with the verification of the next column.However, if the bail 55 is again raised and latched, the operator isassured that the error exists on the card. The operator then removes thecard from the machine in the following described manner:

By depressing a release key 83 (Figs. 1 and 8) contacts 84 are closedenergizing a magnet 85 (Figs. 2 and 8). The armature 86 of this magnetis secured to ashaft 81 to which is also secured an arm 88 carrying astud projecting beneath the escapement pawl l9. Energization of themagnet 85 attracts its armature 86 rocking the shaft 81 and arm 88clockwise'to disengage the pawl l9 from the rack l5 whereupon the springdrive shifts the carriage in one movement to its extreme left handposition where the card may be removed and another placed in thecarriage.

All disagreements between the holes punched in a particular columnand'the keys depressed affect the machine in substantially the samemanner, for instance, should the hole punched in the card be in thewrong position and the operator depress the correct key the severalparts will function exactly as described to render th escapementineffective.

If an additional hole is punched in a column which should have a singlehole therein, the magnet 35 corresponding to the extra hole will causethe slide 60 to be carried toward the left positioning the projection 61under the rib 68, thus preventing energization of the escapement magnet.Likewise, if a column should have two holes punchedthere and one of saidholes is missing, the magnet 35 corresponding to the missing hole willnot be energized and will not shift the projection 5| from beneath thelug 52, consequently depression of the corresponding key will presentenergization of the escapement magnet 21. In this connection it may bementioned that, when combinational holes are verified, the related keysare concurrently depressed as is the usual practice.

In this manner the depression of any key or keys which do not correspondto the hole or holes Column and field skipping Should there be one ormore columns on the card in which there is no perforate point and inwhich column none is intended, the escapement is effected by operationof a space key 90 (Fig. 9). This key is just like the keys 34 and upondepression, operates a lever 53 to rock the universal bar 69, shaft 18and arms 14 counterclockwise to close contacts 33 which energizes themagnet 21 to effect an escapement of the carriage one step to the nextcolumn.

Tabulating cards of the well known Hollerith type are usually dividedinto a plurality of fields, each field comprising a plurality ofcolumns. The number of columns includedin a field depends on therequirement for that particular field. It sometimes happens that acertain field or fields remain entirely unpunched, in which case, inorder to maintain and to increase the speed at which these machines areoperated, a device is provided to skip either parts of or entire fieldseither automatically or under the control of the X key 34. This is thekey 34 which corresponds to the 11 or X index point position of thecard. This key cooperates with the 11 brush I3 and magnet 35 in the samemanner as each of the other keys 34. That is, if the 11 key 34 isdepressed and there is no corresponding hole in the 11 index pointposition, bar 55 will be raised and latched in its elevated positionthus permitting lever M to rock and give a visual indication that thereis a condition of nonverification.

Skipping a field under the control of the key 34 is useful when it isdesired to verify, through the medium of a, hole punched in the 11 or Xposition in the first column of the field to be skipped, that the fieldis blank.

The automatic features of skipping a field or fields may be used to skipa blank field without verifying or to skip a field previously gangpunched and which it is not necessary to verify.

The operation of the skip mechanism under the control of the X key 34will be described first. In order to operate the skip mechanism undercontrol of this key a switch 92 (Fig. 8) is set at thecontact marked 2.Depression of the X key 34 in addition to its normal func tion closescontacts 93 located directly beneath the stem 46 of this key (Fig. 1)setting up a circuit from line 36, bar III, wire 90, contacts 93, wire95, switch. 92, a relay magnet 90 to line H. Another circuit iscompleted at the same time from the switch 92 by a wire 9l through theescapement magnet 21. This energizes magnet 21 and effects an escapementof the carriage in the usual manner by rocking the pawl I9counterclockwise (Fig. 2) which movement closes contacts 90. Uponenergization of the magnet 90 contacts 99 are closed so that when thecontacts 98 close, a holding circuit is set up from line 36, wire I00, amagnet IIOI, contacts 90, wire I02, contacts 99, magnet 90 to the lineIII.

Energization of the magnet I attracts its armature I03 rocking an armI09 clockwise (Fig. 5) to slide a skip lifter bar I05 toward the left asviewed in Figs. 4-. and 5. At its right hand end (Figs. i and 5) the barI05 is guided by a stud III and the reduced left hand end of said barrests on the upper edge of a. skip bar II2 removably mounted on thecarriage slide I5. Upon the leftward movement of the bar I05 a beveledshoulder H3 coacts with the skip bar II2 to raise the end of the barI05. At this time the bar I05 is resting in one of a plurality ofrecesses H0 in the upper edge of the bar H2.

It will be noted by reference to Fig. 6 that the recesses H4 are inposition corresponding to the first column in each card field. The barI05 is thrust leftward first after the pawl I9 is raised and theescapement occurs when the shaft 22 is rocked clockwise (Fig, 6) toraise the pawl 20 out of engagement with the rack I5. As the carriageshifts toward the left the recess IIl passes from beneath the bar I05camming this bar, which is now in its left hand position (Fig. 5),upwardly to retain the pawl I9 in its raised position. Thus both thepawls I9 and 20 are held out of engagement with the rack I5 and thecarriage is free to travel towards the left until such time as the nextrecess IIII comes under the bar I05 when said bar drops into the recesspermitting the pawl I9 to reengage the rack I5 stopping the carriage ina position cor responding with the first column of the next field.

The clockwise movement of the pawl I9 to reengage the rack I5 opens'thecontacts 98 which deenergizes the magnet IOI whereupon the bar I05 isretracted by its spring I06. The sameprocedure is followed if it isdesired to verify the X punch in the next, or any other field. Frompunched the foregoing itis therefore apparent that, with switch 92 inits 2 position, if the X key M is depressed and an X hole is present inthe column under the sensing brushes, the carriage will skip to thefirst column of the next adjacent card field. On the other hand, if theX hole is not present, skipping will'fneverthelessfltake place asbefore, but in addition, bar 55 is latched.

preventing any further effective operation of keys 34. It may herebepointed out that in practice an X hole is punched in the first column ofa field which is to receive no data punching as an indication that suchfield is purposely to remain unpunched. In other. cases, the: X holemaybe omittedlas where the data is to be in'the field during some lateroperation in the'accounting procedure. Thus if after the "X key 34 isoperated and the carriage skips, lever 8| has rocked to indicate theabsence of the X hole, the operator will consider this as an indicationof an error or, if he knows that no X hole is intended, he will restorelever BI and proceed with further operations.

When it is desired to skip a field previously gang punched or in whichthere are no punchings, an automatic device, now to be described, isbrought into use. This device includes a dielectrio bar II5 (Figs. 1, 7and 8) mounted on theframe of the machine. Secured on the bar II5 are acommon conductor II 5, a series of contacts II? (one for each cardcolumn), and a plug bar H8. The bar H6 is connected by a wire H9 and thebar I0 (Fig. 8) to the line 35. The bar I I9 is connected by a wire I20to the contact 3 of the switch 92.

Bridging brushes I2I suitably mounted on the carriage are adapted toclose a circuit from the common bar II6 successively with the contactsII! as the carriage escapes from column to column. A plug I22 may beused to connect any .one of the contacts Hi to the bar IEO.

If it is desired to skip an entire field, the plug I22 may be placed inposition to connect the contact I I7, corresponding to the firstcolumnar position in the field to the bar IIB. However, if it is notdesired to skip the entire field, the plug I22 is inserted in theparticular columnar position at which it is desired to start theskipping action.

With the plug I22 in the proper position and the switch 92 on thecontact 3, the operation bf the skip mechanism is as follows:

The operator proceeds with the column by column verification under thecontrol of the verifying keys 34 in the manner previously described.When the last column preceding the field to be skipped is verified thecarriage escapes to the first column in the field to be skipped. At thistime the brushes I2I complete a circuit from the line 36 to bar I0, wireH9, bar H6, brushes IZI, contact 1, plug I22, bar II8, wire I20, switch92, magnet 96 to line H. Also from switch 92 a circuit is completedthrough magnet H to line III Energization of the magnet 21 effects anescapement in the usual manner operating the escapement pawl I9 whichcloses the contacts 99 completing a circuit. from the line 36, wire I00,magnet IOI, contacts 98, wire I02, contacts 99 closed upon energizationof magnet 96, magnet 99 to line 4|.

This forms a holding circuit through the magnet 96 and energizes magnetIOI which shifts the skip lifter bar I05 toward the left 'to maintainthe pawl I Sin raised position until the next recess H4 arrivesthereunder. This permits the bar I05 to drop lowering the pawl l9 intoengagement with the rack l5 thus stopping the carriage with the firstvcolumn of the next succeeding field above the brushes l3. The operatormay then proceed to verify this field, or the ,field may be skipped.

' While there has been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention ;as applied to a singlemodification, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intentiontherefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the followingclaim. r

What is claimed is as follows:

In a machine of the class described, the combination of a carriage forperforated cards, a contact device carried by said carriage, a pluralityof stationary contact segments arranged to be successively engaged bysaid contact device as the carriage is advanced step by step, anescapement device for advancing said carriage, a skip bar carried by thecarriage, a controlling magnet for causing said skip bar to disconnectthe escapement device from control of the carriage and settable meansincluding plug connections for causing a. circuit to be completed bysaid contact device and one or more of said segments to energize saidmagnet to automatically effect the disconnection 0i said escapementdevice.

WILLIAM LANG.

